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QMI Agency

Apr 11, 2013

, Last Updated: 8:07 PM ET

Former NHLer Joe Sakic and Olympic gold medallist curler Russ Howard are among the 2013 inductees for Canada's Sports Hall of Fame.

Sakic, Howard, cyclist Alison Sydor, the women's coxless four rowing team that won the 1992 Olympic gold medal, wheelchair marathoner Andre Viger and builders Murray Costello and Dr. Jean-Guy Ouellet will be inducted into the Hall of Fame at a ceremony in Toronto Oct. 16.

In addition to winning the gold medal with the Brad Gushue-skipped team at the Turin Olympics, Howard won the world curling championship as skip on two occasions. He also appeared in the Brier 14 times, winning twice (1987, '93).

"It's really exciting and it's pretty humbling," Howard said Thursday. "I was looking at the list of Hall of Fame members the other day and you see guys like Gordie Howe, Wayne Gretzky and Bobby Orr. You think about the magnitude of those guys, and here I am on the same list. It's kind of neat. Going in with Joe Sakic and the rowing team is pretty cool.

"I've had a decent career, but when you're talking about the Canadian Sports Hall of Fame, you're thinking about athletes you've watched on TV forever in hockey and baseball. I think it's neat to have a curler in there with all these other great athletes."

Sakic played 20 seasons in the NHL with the Quebec Nordiques/Colorado Avalanche franchise, recording 625 goals and 1,016 assists in 1,378 games. He also helped Canada win the 2002 Olympic gold medal and two world championships.

Sydor, a road racer turned mountain biker from Edmonton, raced in three Olympic Games, winning silver in 1996, won three individual world cross-country titles and finished first in 17 World Cup races.